Collar-stretching machine.



W. J. BEATTIE.

COLLAR STRETCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEAB.'9, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

. lnk/ENTER WITNEEEIEE.

W. J. BEATTIE.

COLLAR STRETGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 9, 1907.

902,548. Patented N0v.3,1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNEEEIEE INVENTR rm: Mamas Fsrsns ca. wAsuuyGroN. n. c.

W. J BEATTIE.

COLLAR STRETGHING MACHINE" APPLICATION FILED PEB. 9, 1907.

902,548. A Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

W. J. BEATTIB.

COLLAR STRETGHING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 9, 1907.

902,548. Patent-,ea N0v.3,19o8.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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WALTER J. BEATTIE, OF COHOES, NEW YORK.

COLLAR-STRETCHING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application led February 9, 1907. Serial No. 356,526.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER J. BEATTIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cohoes, county of Albany, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collar-Stretching Machines, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to such improvements and consists of the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and subsequently claimed.

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a top plan view of my improved collar-stretching machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on the broken line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the same taken on the broken line ,3L-3 in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the broken line 4-4 in Figs. 2 and 5. Fig. 5 is a view in front elevation of the machine.

The principal object of the invention is to remove wrinkles from collars, cuffs and similar articles during the laundering operation without injury to the texture or finish of the fabric of which such articles are made.

Other objects of the invention will appear in connection with the following description.

My invention is particularly adapted for the treatment of collars and cuffs in the laundering operation after the articles have been washed and partly dried and before they have been starched.

lt is well understood that such articles as collars and cuffs after being washed are saturated with wet starch which may be rubbed into such articles by hand, or may be applied to the articles by machines adapted for that purpose.

As the articles come from the washing-machine they, in many cases, have surface wrinkles which must be removed before the starch with which the articles are thereafter saturated has been permitted to become dry and render the articles hard or sti. The removal of such wrinkles has ordinarily been performed by hand by starchers or finishers after the articles have been saturated with starch, the starched articles being thus given a continuous smooth surface suitable for ironing after the starch hashardened.

The present invention relates to an apparatus whereby such articles can be stretched in different directions to remove such wrinkles without injury to the texture or finish of the fabric.

As shown and described, the apparatus is particularly adapted for treating the articles immediately before their delivery to the starching machine.

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1, is the main frame of the machine, upon the underside of the bed, 2, of which are mounted in line with each other a pair of slideways 3. Adapted to reciprocate within each of such `slideways is a spindle, 4, having on its inner end a head, 5, provided with a vertically extending aperture, 6, adapted to receive a plunger, 7, reciprocatcry therein, the lower end of which plunger is adapted to be engaged by a cam, 8, fixed upon a cam-shaft, 9, rotatively mounted in suitable bearings on the frame of the machine.

A coil-spring, 10, embraces the lower end of each plunger, 7, the lower end of said spring engaging an offset, 11, on said lunger while its upper end engages the un erside of the spindle-head, 5, whereby said spindle is yieldingly held in contact with said cam,

The cam-shaft, 9, may be dri'. en in any known manner.

Fixed upon the outer end of each of the spindles, 4, is an arm, 12, overhanging the bed of the machine and having a head, 13, provided with a xertically extending aperture adapted to receive a plunger, 14, which is vertically reci rocatory therein in line with one of the p ungers 7.

Each of the plungers, 7, is provided with a head, 15, and each of the plungers, 14, with a head, 16, each of the heads, 15, being cooperative with one of the heads, 16.

The plunger heads, 16, are yieldingly forced downward against the respecti. e plunger-heads, 15, by means of coil-springs, 17, one embracing each of the spindles, 14, and engageable at its lower end with'a head, 16, of said spindle, and at its upper end with a resistance seat on the underside of the head, 13, of the o' erhanging arm, 12, whereby the plunger-head, 16, yieldingly resists the upward movement of the subjacent plungerhead, 15, induced by the operation of the cam, 8, thereby serving when the plungerhead, 15, is forced upwardly to clamp with yielding pressure any article interposed between said plunger-heads.

A cam-disk, 1.9, is fixed upon the camshaft, 9, midway between the plungers, 7, the opposite sides of said cam-disk being provided with cam-surfaces engageable with cam-followers, 18, on the respective s indleheads, 5, which spindle-heads are yie dingly held against the opposite sides of said camdisk by means of coil-springs, 20, one embracing each of the spindles, 4, and confined between the head of said spindle and a resistance-seat, 21, on the inner end of the slideway 3.

As the cam-disk is rotated and its thicker portion brought opposite the cam-followers, 18, the spindles, 4, will be forced apart, each spindle carrying with it one pair of alined plungers, 7 and 14, as indicated by solid ines in Fig. 3 ,z and as the thinner portion of the cam-disk is brought opposite the camfollowers, 1S, said pairs of plungers will be moved toward each other due to the action of the springs, 20, upon the spindles 4, as indicated by dotted lines in said figure.

The cams, 8, are wide enough to engage the end of the respective lungers, 7, in all of the positions which sai plungers assume in their movement toward and from each other, and the high points of said cams, 8, are so located relatively to the high points of the cams on the cam-disk that the plungerheads, 15, are forced upwardly against the plunger-heads, 16, when the plungers, 7, are in about the position. of greatest proximity to each other, and the plunger-heads, 15, are relieved from the influence of the cams, 8, and forced downwardly by means of the coilsprings, 10, at about the limit of outward or separative movement of said plungers, whereby each of the plunger-heads, 16, is relieved from the upward pressure of the subjacent plunger-head, 15, the plungerhead, 16, being prevented from following the plunger-head, 15, downward by the engagement of a stop-nut, 26, on the upper end of the plunger, 1.4, carrying said head, 1.6, with the upper end of the head, 13, of the overhanging-arm 12.

Rotativelymounted in rear of the apparatus describedabove are two coperating feed-rolls, 22, which may be continuously driven in any known manner, as by a belt-connection, 23, between a pulley, 24, fixed upon the spindle ofv one of said rolls, and a pulley, 25, Xed upon the counter-shaft, 36, connected by a belt, 37, with the cam-shaft 9.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows A collar, 38, is inserted with one longitudinal edge between one pair of plungerheads, 15 and 16, and its other longitudinal edge between the other pair of plunger-heads,

15 and 16, and with its forward end between the feed-rolls, 22, which are slowly rotated so as to exert a pull upon the inserted end of the collar.

As the pairs of plunger-heads reach about the limit of their movement toward each other, the heads, 15, are forced upwardly by c the respective cams, 8, and clamp between them and the respective heads, 1.6, the edge portions of the inserted collar thereby resisting the pull of the feed-rolls u on the collar and tending to stretch the colar longitudinally.

While the opposite edges of the collar are thus held clamped between the pairs of plunger-heads, said pairs are separated one pair from the other by the operation of the camdisk as above described, causing a movement of the clamping parts from the position indicated by dotted lines to that shown by solid lines in Fig. 3, thereby stretching the collar transversely.

At about the limit of movement of separation of the pairs of clamping plunger-heads the clamping pressure is relieved by the downwardmovement of the respective heads, 15, due to their being relieved from the influence of the respective cams, 8, as above described, thereby releasing the collar to the action of the feed-rolls to feed the collar along while the pairs of clamping plungerheads are being moved toward each other with the members of each pair separated from each other.

When the plunger-heads have reached about the limit of their movement toward each other they are again caused to clamp the edges of the collar to resist the pull of the feed-rolls and again move apart one pair from the other to stretch the collar transversely; these operations being repeated at short intervals in the progressive movement of the collar through the machine.

As the collar passes through the machine it is thus stretched both longitudinally and transversely thereby removing any wrinkles which might have been left in the article after the washing operation.

The plunger-heads may be made of any known material which will not injure the texture or finish of the fabric of the article to be stretched, and are preferably made of cork, although rubber, wood, or felt, is welladapted for the purpose.

The feed-rolls, 22, may be made of wood, or metal, or other material adapted to exert the desired. pull upon the articles without inljury thereto. The rolls, 22, may, if desired, be the initial feed-rolls of a starching-machine.

To facilitate the insertion of the collar between the members of the respective pairs of clam ping plunger-heads, l have shown means for raising said heads when desired, the same comprising a pair of rocker-arms, 27, iiXed scams upon a rocker-shaft, 28, mounted in bearings, 29, upon the frame of the machine, each of which rocker-arms extends beneath an arm, 39, offset from the upper end of one of the plungers, 14, the arms, 27, being adapted, When .the rock-shaft, 28, is rocked in the proper direction, to engage the underside of the respective arms, 39, and thereby simultaneously raise both plungers, 14, against the force of their r spective springs 17.

To preventdisplacement of the collar transversely due to variation in the pulling force exerted by the respective pairs of clamping plunger-heads, I have shown a Wheel, 30, cooperative with a subjacent support which may be a portion of the bed between the respective pairs of plunger-heads or a friction-roller, 31, mounted upon such portion of the bed, whereby the collar is adapted to be engaged intermediately of its side edges and is Wholly or partly supported against the pull of both pairs of plungerheads.

The Wheel, 30, is shown rotatively mounted in bearings upon a rocker-arm, 32, ihxed upon the rock-shaft, 28, and said Wheel is held to its Work througl'i the influence of coilsprings, 33, on. said rock-shaft whereby a movement of said shaft is induced in a direction to force the Wheel, 30, against the bed of the machine.

The rock-shaft, 28, is provided With a rocker-arm, 34, adapted to be connected by a link, S5, with a treadle, 40, whereby the shaft can be rocked in opposition to the force of the spring 33, as shown in Fig. 2.

I do not Wish to be limited to the particular clamping devices shown, as any known form of automatically opening and closing clamp may be substituted for the clamp formed by each pair of plunger-heads, 15 and 16.

The Work-clamping rollers, 30 and 31, may be omitted, if desired.

Any known means may be employed for feeding the collar through the machine.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched a pair of clamps engageable With the opposite sideedges of said article, means for automatically moving one of said clamps toward and i from the other and means for automatically opening and closing the clamp so moved.

2. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a pair of clamps engageable with the opposite sideedges of said article means for automatically opening and closing both of said clamps and means for automatically moving one of said clamps toward and from the other.

3. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a pair of clamps engageable with the opposite sideedges of said article; means for automatically opening and closing said clamps; and means for automatically moving said clamps each toward and from the other.

4. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a Workholder engageable With the intermediate portion of said article 5 a pair of clamps on opposite sides of said Work-holder engageable With the opposite side edges of said article g means for automatically opening and closing said 1 clamps; and means for moving each of said clamps toward and from said Work-holder.

5. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a Workholding roll engageable with the intermediate portion of said article; a pair of clamps on opposite sides of said roll engageable with the opposite side edges of said article, means for automatically opening and closing said clamps; and means for moving each of said clamps toward and from said roll.

6. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched 5 a pair of clamps engageable With the opposite side edges of said article; means for automatically moving one of said clamps toward and from the other; and means for automatically closing the clamp so moved at approximately the limit of its movement toward, and automatically opening it at approximately the limit of its movement away from, the other clamp.

7. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a pair of clamps engageable With the opposite side edges of said article; means for automatically moving said clamps toward and from each other; and means for automatically opening said clamps at approximately the limit of their movement away from each other and automatically closing them at approximately the limit of their movement toward each other.

8. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, a pair of clamps engageable with the opposite side-edges of an article to be stretched; means for automatically moving said clamps toward and from each other; means for automatically opening and closing the clamps 3 and a pair of feed-rolls in rear of said clamps.

9. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched a pair of clamps engageable With the opposite sideedges of said article, each clamp comprising a pair of members one spring-supported in opposition to the thrust of the other a stop limiting the spring-induced movement of each of said spring-supported members; a cam for forcing the other member of each clamp at certain times toward the springsupported member; and means for automatically moving each clamp toward and from the other.

10. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longitudinally an article to be stretched; a pair of clamps engageable with the opposite sideedges of said article; means for automatically moving said clamps toward and from each other means for automatically opening and closing said clamps; and means operative at will for opening` said clamps.

11. In an apparatus of the class described and in combination, means for feeding longigageable with an intermediate portion of g said article means for automatically forcmg s said roll into engagement with said article; means for automatically moving said clamps each toward and from said roll; means for automatically opening and closing said clamps; and means operative at Will for simultaneously opening said clamps and raising said roll.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 2nd day of February, 1907.

WALTER J. BEATTIE.

Witnesses: I

E. M. GREILLY, J. DoNsBAcI-I. 

